To make chilli and ginger dressing, heat oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add ginger, eschalots and chilli, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Stir in sugar and vinegar until sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes to mellow the vinegar taste. Add 2 tablespoons water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Add soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice, and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.

Step 2

To make salad, cut avocados into thin wedges. Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and thinly slice on the diagonal. Place avocados, cucumbers, nuts, chives and lime juice in a large bowl and toss to combine.

Step 3

Place sesame and fennel seeds on a plate and season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Press a piece of tuna into seed mixture to coat. Turn over and coat the other side. Repeat with remaining tuna.

Step 4

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Cook tuna for 1 1/2 minutes each side for medium–rare or until cooked to your liking.

Step 5

Divide salad among plates. Drizzle with dressing. Slice tuna and place next to the salad. Drizzle with a little more dressing to serve.

Tip: Buy tuna as fresh as possible. It's normally sold as skinless steaks. The flesh should be deep red, firm and moist. Avoid tuna that is dull, watery or has brown patches.

Cooking know-how: Some cooks remove the dark blood line that runs through the top of tuna steaks. It's edible, but has a strong flavour. To cook tuna, use quick, high-heat methods, such as pan-frying, chargrilling or barbecuing. Tuna should be left a little pink in the centre. If cooked all the way through, it becomes dry and unpleasant to eat. If you buy sashimi-grade tuna, which is extra fresh, you can eat it raw.

Served this to family for a midweek, light, quick but very tasty, dinner. Would definitely cook again!!! Delicious!!!

4.5SMR added this comment at
03:50am Wed 22nd October, 2014

I loved this recipe! The tuna crust & chilli ginger sauce was divine! I don't like too much sweet so just put one tablespoon of sugar and that was enough sweetness, also just a third of a cup of rice vinegar, but it didn't make too much sauce. I also didn't have cucumbers or avocado so served it with stir-fried brocollini & asparagus - yum yum

4.5GuyH added this comment at
11:38am Sat 21st January, 2012

Hint: You don't need all the peanut oil (2 1/2 Tbs) in the dressing. I used just enough to sweat down the ginger & eschalots...
Sensational dish! This one has become a regular in our house, wife absolutely loves it!

5janees1979 rated this recipe at
10:00am Thu 1st September, 2011

5tashs rated this recipe at
03:06pm Mon 20th June, 2011

5grenouille added this comment at
08:16am Fri 6th August, 2010

excellent, everybody loved it. So easy to!

5andrea99 added this comment at
12:41pm Mon 12th July, 2010

This is delicious, fresh and light. My husband loved it too. Make sure the tuna is cooked very rare (as in the picture). Quality and freshness of the tuna is also extremely important.